Blog

We have been having the most wonderful time here at Castle Hill Stables, with all the horses running their absolute socks off over the last fortnight. In our last 15 runners, only two have finished out of the top 4, and they have all tried their hearts out, allowing us to reach the 'hot list' of tra...

Behind every great horse, there’s a great groom, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. Top riders know and appreciate that – it’s why Valegro’s groom, Alan Davies, has become a celebrity in his own right. It’s also one reason why Valegro’s rider, Charlotte Dujardin, has become patron of the British Grooms As...

Baby pictures are popping up on everyone’s news feed, and we’re all enjoying an overload of cuteness, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. Naturally, we’re talking foals. The human kind are adorable if they belong to you or someone in your family, but are not universally irresistible. Foals, however, ar...

Well, I was right; plans did change! After Hardy’s ride in Dorset I was so pleased with Dilmun’s fitness that I was happy to continue his preparation for Windsor.  However, on increasing the canter work both in terms of distance and speed, it became apparent that Dilmun was simply not ‘up for it’...

When non-horsey people see pictures of the Queen out riding, or Prince Philip driving his team of ponies, they have one of three reactions, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON.

• How do they manage it? After all, Her Majesty is 91 and HRH is 96 in June.
• Surely it’s too dangerous at their age – shouldn’t ...

There are two things that riders should think twice about saying, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. One is “My horse is being naughty” and the other is “My horse always goes like that.” You may disagree, and you may phrase the first observation in stronger terms. But before you’re tempted to think that your...

The beginning of last week saw a huge flurry of activity here at Castle Hill, with the arrival of the Middleham Open Day. We were also very lucky to be entertained over the weekend by a visit from Lynn and Gary from Trojan Horse, as well as Hazel and John Palmer from the Ontoawinner family, which wa...

How much is a horse worth? Yes, this is a trick question – and there are several answers, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. The nicest is the one you hear from an owner whose horse is part of the family and regarded as priceless. These owners tend to be women, and they often have a T-shirt that proclaims: “...

Buying a horse for yourself is difficult enough, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. But when a friend asks you to help them find the ideal partner for their child, the challenge level shoots off the scale. After negotiations between mother and 12-year-old daughter, we struck a compromise. It was a bit like t...

  Can you remember your first riding lesson? Mine was light years ago, but I can still remember every detail, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. The small riding school in Lincolnshire was run by two dedicated sisters called Daphne and June. They introduced me to a 12.2hh strawberry roan pony called Amigo an...

Well, our first squad assessment with horses has now been and gone.  It was, as usual, a considerable drive away for us which I guess is the penalty for living in such a wonderful and usually quiet part of the World.  This was in Milton Keynes at a riding stables and livery yard where I could stable...

Even those who don’t know one end of a horse from another have probably heard that showjumping stars Nick Skelton and Big Star are retiring, writes CAROLYN HENDERSON. The announcement flooded across websites and social media and made mainstream TV. That’s important, just as it was when our dressage ...